Rollati had added an Italian Mercato to Downtown San Jose

Rollati was my favorite new restaurant opening in Downtown San Jose for 2023. It brough upscale Italian cuisine to the City Hall neighborhood, nestled under the two MIRO high-rises across the street from the City Hall Rotunda. Now they have added a cute little Italian store with groceries and gifts on the side of the restaurant.

They're stocking pastas, cheeses, olives, salads, and an assortment of beverages. It's one more reason to check out an already exceptional restaurant.

Source: 408Nate on X

Vallarta Supermarkets opening first Bay Area location in San Jose

A popular Mexican supermarket chain is taking over two long-vacant retail spaces at The Plant shopping center in Central San Jose. Toys 'R Us and Babies 'R Us closed a whopping six years ago. That's a lot of wasted space. Now they will become a Vallarta Supermarket in 2026.

Vallarta is very popular in SoCal and offers many traditional foods native to Mexico. The planned San Jose store will be 65,000 SQFT and have both groceries and retail items. It's going to be a full-service grocer with a kitchen featuring many traditional favorites from Mexico and Central America. It'll have a dedicated tortilleria, agua frescas bar, and organic products.

This will also be a strong anchor tenant to attract more shopper to The Plant and the multitude of restaurants and shops already there. Vallarta has 55 supermarkets in California and the next closest locations are in Watsonville and Salinas.

Source: The Mercury News

Porsche is setting up shop at Santana Row

Santana Row made history as the very first location for a Tesla Store. It disrupted the entire auto market with a direct-to-consumer model and a buying experience similar to an Apple Store--perhaps because the person responsible for Apple Stores was behind the initial Tesla Store concept. Several auto makers followed suit including Lucid and Polestar which have similar stores across the street in Valley Fair. The Santana Row Tesla Store has also become so popular that it significantly expanded it's original square footage into a neighboring retail pad a few years ago. 

Now traditional automakers are getting in on the action. Porsche is opening their very first Porsche NOW concept at Santana Row.

The store will enable visitors to interact with the Porsche brand in a lounge-like environment and tinker with one of Porsche's electrified models such as the Taycan or Macan Electric. This would make sense given San Jose is the largest market for electric vehicles per capita of any large city in the US.

The Porsche NOW store is located near Hotel Valencia at 355 Santana Row and had their soft opening last week.

Source: SVBJ

First T&T Supermarket in California is coming to San Jose

A new supermarket specializing in Asian groceries will be coming to West San Jose in 2025. T&T Supermarket will be the newest anchor tenant at Westgate Center (which is owned by the same company as Santana Row). The store will be 55,000 SQFT and take over the former Walmart space.

T&T's goal is to be more than just a place to grab groceries. They want it to be a destination for discovery, innovation, and bringing people together through food. The store will have live seafood tanks, a full-service meat counter, a BBQ counter, noodle station, dim sum, and a street food section, and even a made-to-order Chinese crepe station. Their bakery will have mochi puffs, egg tarts, and assorted pastries.

T&T Supermarkets has 33 stores, mostly in Canada but there are a couple stores in the US. This will be their first location in all of California.

Source: SiliconValley.com

New Sprouts Farmer's Market opening near Downtown

At the San Jose Market Center on Coleman, a new Sprouts is taking over the space formerly occupied by Office Depot at the edge of Downtown San Jose. The center is currently anchored by Target, World Market, and a Trader Joe's. So this would be the 4th store with groceries in the shopping center.

The new Sprouts will clock in at 20,767 SQFT and will be the 5th location in San Jose. 

While I'm always happy to see more grocery options close to our Downtown core, I can't help but to think that the old "The Market by Safeway" space at the bottom of The 88 would have been perfect for Sprouts. That spot was 24,000 SQFT and right in the middle of a growing population looking for grocery options within walking distance. Beggars can't be choosers, so I'll still chalk this up as a win. 

Source: SVBJ

Aesop opens first Silicon Valley location at Santana Row

Aesop is a high-end retailer with skin, hair, and body "formulations." They have just opened a signature store at Santana Row, which is the first and only Silicon Valley location. They have four stores in San Francisco and hundreds all over the world.

The store is open now and is located between Gucci and Tesla. Hours are Monday-Saturday from 10am-9pm and Sunday from 11am-6pm.

Smart & Final Coming to East San Jose

The Plaza de San Jose retail center at Story and King is about to get a new tenant. Smart & Final is planning on occupying a 20,000 SQFT space that was previously a Famsa. The warehouse-style grocer plans to service both general consumers and restaurants in the area. The store should open this month and will be the third in San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

Happy Valentine's Day San Jose!

This Valentine's Day, I have to plug a chocolate store that I just found out about recently. Schurra's has been making fine confections since 1912, and they have been based in San Jose since the early 1930s. They make their candy and chocolates from scratch each day on-site at their historic San Jose location (840 The Alameda). Everything is made by hand, they have no machines to automate the process. I had a chance to try some of their chocolate a couple days ago and it blew me away. You have to try the salted dark chocolate caramels!

So instead of stocking up on Godiva or Ghiradelli this Valentine's Day, why not go hyperlocal and try something made right here in San Jose!

To visit Schurra's website click here.

Schurra's, creating a tradition of Fine Confections since 1912.  Albert and Justin Schurra started their confectionery business with retail stores in Stockton and Modesto California.  They soon expanded their candy business to include wholesale accounts throughout Northern California.  In the early 1930's they closed their stores in Stockton and Modesto and moved to The Alameda in San Jose.  The Alameda, also known as the beautiful way, was San Jose's premier neighborhood.  The mansions of successful doctors, lawyers and architects lined the street as they do today.  However, today they have been converted to offices for doctors, lawyers and architects.  A street car system ran down the center of the street carrying passengers from Alum Rock Park through downtown and out towards the town of Santa Clara.  The Alameda was and is also known as Hwy 82.  It was the most modern route to San Francisco at the time.   In the mid 1930's Albert Schurra purchased the building at 848 The Alameda.  He designed a "Sunshine Candy Kitchen"  where customers could watch candy being made through the windows.  Skilled women would sit in the front windows that faced The Alameda and artistically dip chocolates by hand.  Many of the chocolate dippers worked for Schurra's well into their 90's and two, Gladys Neisonger and Myrtle Bay, lived to be over 100 years old. While we have since located next door to the old Sunshine Candy Kitchen, we proudly carry on Albert and Justin's time-honored traditions and adhere to their standards of quality by making everything from scratch everyday.

Visit our Historic Shop at

840 The Alameda

San Jose, CA 95126

ph. 408.289.1562

fax. 408.289.9222

Store Hours:  Monday - Friday 10am - 6:30pm

Saturdays 10am - 5:30pm

Closed Sundays except for the Sunday before Christmas, Valentine's and Easter.  We are open those 3 Sundays from 11:30am - 4:00pm

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Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market Coming to San Jose

A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market sounds almost like an oxymoron, but that is exactly what is coming to San Jose later this year. The former Safeway location in Westgate mall will be home to the first Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in the Bay Area. It's essentially a 38,000sqft grocery-only Wal-Mart. Supposedly, they are also eyeing the former Lunardi's location in Evergreen Village Square for their second store. The Evergreen Village Square space has been vacant far too long, I would be happy with anything in that space.

Source: SJBJ

TechShop is Coming to San Jose!

As mentioned earlier today, TechShop is planning to open a Downtown San Jose location on 300 S. 2nd Street. At 17,000 sqft it would be one of, if not their largest location. TechShop is membership-based workshop that provides access to tools, equipment, and classes to allow creative people to build whatever they want. It's designed for artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, hackers, roboteers, arts & crafts enthusiats, etc. Instead of buying crazy expensive equipment to create things, you just get a monthly membership and have access to over a million dollars worth of equipment including cool stuff like 3D printers, metalworking and woodworking tools, laser cutters, and fast computer workstations. Think of it as a gym membership for people that want to build things.

What a tremendous resource this would be for Downtown San Jose! This would be 2 blocks away from SoFA (the artist mecca for the South Bay), 2 blocks away from San Jose State University, and in the neighborhood of several start-up companies and incubators. This type of easy-access workshop is exactly what we need to make the fires burn hotter in the burgeoning art and cultural districts of San Jose, particularly the Downtown core. There would also be a retail store open to everyone with basic supplies for projects, such as hardware, paint, pliers, safety equipment, electronic components, and reading materials.

Right now they are looking for help launching this location by asking for volunteers, membership pledges (you would get a membership if the San Jose location is opened), or donations. Fore more information, just click here.

Also here is a list of equipment that you would have access to with membership:

• Epilog Helix 60-Watt Laser Cutters
• Tormach CNC Milling Machines
• 3D Printer
• NextEngine 3D Scanner
• Formech 600 24" x 24" Vacuum Forming System
• Formech Heat Strip Bending System
• Morgan Industries Injection Molding System
• Sewing Machines
• Overlock Sewing Machine
• Tin Lizzie Quilting Machine
• Computer-Controlled Vinyl Cutter
• Powder Coating System
• Lincoln MIG Welders (Steel)
• Lincoln TIG Welders (Steel and Aluminum)
• Hand-Held Plasma Cutter
• Sheet Metal Spot Welder
• Sheet Metal Brake, 16 ga x 50"
• Rotary Sheet Metal Punch
• Sheet Metal Corner Notcher
• English Wheel and Planishing Hammer
• Sheet Metal Shear, 16 ga x 50"
• Sheet Metal Roller, 16 ga x 50"
• Sandblast Cabinet
• Metal Grinders and Sanders
• Metal Chop Saw
• Metal Horizontal Band Saw
• Metal Vertical Band Saw
• Computer Controlled Embroidery Sewing Machine
• Electronics Testing and Soldering Equipment
• Epson R1900 13" x 19" Achival Printer with Continuous Inking System
• ShopBot 4' x 8' CNC Wood Router System
• SawStop Professional Cabinet Table Saw
• Panel Saw
• Wood Planer
• Wood Jointer
• Wood Band Saw
• Wood Sanders
• Wood Scroll Saws
• Wood Lathe
• Drill Presses
• Metal Lathes, 14" x 40"
• Vertical Milling Machines with DRO and Power Feed
• Granite Surface Plate with Digital Height Gauges
• Lots of Machine Shop Accessories and Tooling
• Lots of Fast Computer Workstations with 2D and 3D Design Software
• Complete Stocked Tool Room
• Member Storage Rental
• Private Studio / Office Rental
• Meeting Rooms
• Comfortable HackerSpace Areas with Power and WiFi
• Retail Store with Supplies and Materials
• Free Coffee and Popcorn
• ...And LOTS More!

New Downtown San Jose Retail - Q2 and Q3 2010

The latest San Jose Redevelopment Agency monthly report is out and it has an updated list of new retail opening it's doors Downtown through September. Details below!

Retail Under Construction
There are twelve retail stores or restaurants Downtown currently under construction or in the permitting process.

Opening Second Quarter 2010
• Ruffled Feathered Eatery (200 S. First St., Ste. 10)
• The Pasta Market (579 Coleman Ave., Unit #80 - San Jose Market Center)
• Sante Grill (143 West Santa Clara St.) Now Open!
• La Victoria - expansion (131 W. Santa Clara St.)
• Teagre Tea Shop (33 North Almaden Ave. - San Pedro Square)
• Panda Express – (567 Coleman Ave. - San Jose Market Center)
• Tutti Frutti Yogurt – (567 Coleman Ave. - San Jose Market Center)
• Paesano’s Sicilian Restaurant (350 W. Julian St., - Little Italy)

Opening Third Quarter 2010
• Ross Dress for Less (27 South First St.)
• Morton’s Steakhouse – expansion (177 Park Ave.)
• Pho 69 Restaurant (321 South First St.)
• The MMoon Empanada Restaurant (177 W. Santa Clara St. - San Pedro Square)

To read the full report, click here!